Execution of penal laws upon Catholics.
From hence it came that the pressures of Catholics were much increased after the first Parliament and before that rash attempt of those gentlemen who were urged to that conspiracy (as most men think in those parts that know how things passed) by extremities which they saw to increase so fast, and their despair of helps in vain expected. For then presently, the execution of all laws against Catholics, both old and new, being committed for the most part to the Chief Justice, who is known to be hot and vehement in the Puritan faction and a bloody enemy to the said Catholics; and he, by direction of others and his own desire, having picked out men in every shire of the same humour to execute the same laws with all the rigour and despite they could devise. Then followed afresh the exaction of 20l.[281] a month, which was imposed by Queen Elizabeth upon every Catholic that would not go unto their service, although for a time after the King's coming there was hope given both by King and Council that it [pg 034] should not be exacted: but then the whole was urged together with the arrearages. Yea, and not contented with twelve months in the year (as Nature hath appointed by course of the sun), they would have the payment for thirteen months in the year, after the account of four weeks in the month, contrary to the rule of ancient law affirming that Pœnæ non sunt ampliandæ. But if Catholics could enjoy for this payment any reasonable quiet, they would think themselves in great ease. But there is a law for the poorer sort of Catholics, that they shall forfeit two parts of their lands and leases, and all their goods and chattels whatsoever that can be found; upon which law (being executed as the Puritans use to do) many and great molestations do further ensue; for by this means they are not only indicted and cast into jails and prisons and their lands seized, as the statute alloweth, but also their goods embezzled and their cattle driven away. And if they find no cattle which they are assured to be the recusants', but that his fields be rented and stocked by other men, they drive that cattle also and put them to prove whose they were; and thereby terrify all men from hiring their said lands, wherein they also add diverse other particular afflictions that exasperate greatly the sufferer. These matters being committed for the most part to their handling, that care not how much or how far they strain poor Catholics, whereof no marvel if it come to pass according to the proverb—Qui nimium emungit elicit sanguinem—“He that scrapeth or rubbeth too much, draweth blood at last.”
It hath been also a matter of no small grief and complaint, that whereas there be now in England certain hungry and ravenous people that importuned the King for relief, having no rents or revenues in the land and yet living at a high rate and great charges many ways, His Majesty to give them content hath willed them to seek out Popish recusants which he might bestow upon them; wherein they [pg 035] then become diligent to inquire them out and restless in prosecuting them to the uttermost, and think all they can get too little: as it is indeed too little to satisfy their needs; which was a thing foreseen and foretold by some who yet are no prophets nor sons of prophets, but Protestants of the wiser sort, who, as it is said, when it was consulted of amongst all the Peers of the realm, before the King's coming, concerning his admission to the crown, some amongst them alleged that it might well be feared that the lean and hungry oxen which Pharao saw in his dream would devour all the fat and goodly oxen which their English fertile ground had fed so well before, and that these ravenous beasts would eat them up and yet seem to be nothing satisfied. Thus they.
And truly the meaner sort of these to whom Catholics were thus given, were not satisfied with the Catholics they could find out, but they also procured divers to be presented and indicted for recusants who were but well-wishers unto Catholics and went to church themselves; and yet some of them could not be delivered except they would publicly abjure their faith at the Assizes and Sessions, whereof sundry rueful examples might be given. In all which, the case seemeth to divers both grievous and odious, that true and freeborn subjects of good quality should be given as it were in prey to others. And for that the sequel of this matter appertaineth to many, the exasperation also rising thereof must needs be very general.
The violent manner of searches.
Now if we should stand upon the particular enumeration of the calamities which fall upon Catholics by private persons, and especially Puritans put in authority over them, the many insolences and molestations which are offered in the searches which are used in most odious manner, and so have been ever since this first Parliament, it would much afflict the hearts of the pious readers. And it is to be thought that many particulars thereof are not [pg 036] known to His Majesty, though all exercised and executed in his name and under his authority. What a thing is it for a Catholic gentleman to have his house suddenly beset on all sides with a number of men in arms both horse and foot, and not only his house and gardens and such inclosed places all beset, but all highways laid for some miles near unto him, that none shall pass but they shall be examined! Then are these searchers ofttimes so rude and barbarous that, if the doors be not opened in the instant when they would enter, they break open the doors with all violence, as if they were to sack a town of enemies won by the sword, which is a strange proceeding, and proper only to our persecuted state at this time, for it is not used elsewhere, but with us so common that no man can have assurance of one hour's quiet or safety within the walls of his own habitation, which yet in just and peaceable commonwealths should be his fortress and castle. Whereupon it seemed so strange to the Scottish gentlemen that came into England with His Majesty, that divers of them said—“If we in Scotland should be thus used, or that any should enter our house by force and against our will, we should presently have killed them.” If they said this for this forcible entry only, what may be said for their manner of proceeding being entered? Which I will therefore set down more in particular, that by this the reader may judge of our usage in other things.
The searchers being thus entered, it hath been usual with pursuivants to run up the stairs and into the chambers with their drawn swords, enough to drive the weaker sort of women and children out of their wits. Then they begin to break off locks and open all the doors of the house presently, that they may at one time search in many places. Then if they find no Priest nor suspected persons for Priests in any of the chambers or closets, they go presently to search for secret places, and this they do most cunningly and strictly, sounding the floors and walls [pg 037] to see if they can find any hollow places. They do also measure the walls of the house and go round about the house on the outside to see if one part do answer to another, in hope to find some void part left hollow, wherein a man may be hid. Sometimes, if the walls be not made of stone, but of wainscot or other weak matter, they will thrust through it with their swords in many places, hoping that in some place or other they may light upon a Priest, and this they do also in the roof of the house, upon suspicion there may be some conveyance, though they cannot find the entry into it, as, indeed, the doors of the secret places are commonly made with such art as it is hard to find them or espy them, otherwise it were not possible to keep Priests so long as some Catholics do and have done. But the searchers, if they find any likely cause of suspicion, not contented with that dangerous manner of trial with their swords (in which cases some Priests have escaped very hardly of being wounded or slain), they then break down the walls wholly and enter themselves to search with candles and torches in all such dark places and in housetops, where sometimes nothing but mice or birds have come of many years. This we hope will be a means to prevent the diligent search of God's judgments wherein he saith—“Scrutabor Jerusalem in lucernis.”[282] But if this be permitted by God's judgment to be done to His servants in this life, what shall be done to the doers of this in the next? “Si in viridi ligno hæc faciunt, in arido quid fiet?”[283] “Incipit judicium (saith St. Peter) a domo Dei. Si autem primum a nobis, quis finis eorum qui non credunt Evangelio?”[284] But to return unto our narration.
When the searchers find not any Priest for all this cruel diligence they have used, they will not yet give over, but supposing there is or may be some so secretly hidden that yet he is there for all that they have done, then they appoint a watch about the house and every part thereof of fifty or sixty men, and sometimes more, and these with guns and bills, &c.; and this they keep for many days together (intending to starve him out), sometimes for six, yea, ten and twelve days' continuance. Sometimes, also, they place watchmen in the chambers of the house within, both to keep that no Catholic shall stir to relieve the Priest (though commonly they make them sure for that by locking them up all in one part of the house together, which they mean least to search as being least suspected); and besides that they may hearken if any little stirring be behind a wall, yea, but the breathing or coughing of a Priest (which was the means indeed by which Fr. Cornelius before mentioned was found out and apprehended), to which end also they do sometimes cunningly speak aloud, one to another, that they will begone away because they can find nothing, and seem to make a noise as though they did depart; then will they go softly into the chambers a little after and seem to be of the house, and knock softly at every wall, willing the good man to come forth, for now the searchers are gone, thanks be to God. This subtlety is usual to these men—“Sed deficient scrutantes scrutinio et exaltabitur Dominus et sagittæ parvulorum sicut plagæ eorum.”[285] And truly sometimes the protection of God is wonderful in these cases, that men do escape their hands, when by human means one would think it were wholly impossible, of which I have known many examples.
But the searchers, in the meantime, when they can [pg 039] find no Priest, whom they chiefly desire to take in any man's house, because then his lands and goods and life also are all forfeited:—but if that will not be, then they rifle every little corner for church stuff, for copes and vestments, chalices, pixes, and such. For these they break open chests and trunks; then to cabinets and little boxes for letters, hoping to find some spiritual advice in them (though not to follow it, God knows), but thereby to infer that they are Priests' letters with whom they have acquaintance; or if they find any Agnus Deis, or beads or medals that they can prove are hallowed, then also all the lands and goods of the parties are seized and themselves condemned to perpetual prison, which was the case of Mr. Tregian, a worthy gentleman of great estate. Many examples of all these particulars might be alleged, but it were too long for the reader, and not safe for the parties of whom the stories must be told, especially if they be truly set down in such barbarous manner as they were performed, which is sometimes so uncivil that they will search the very beds where man and wife do lie at their first breaking into the house, when they come in the night, as in London, it is most commonly, yea, sometimes into the beds where women lie in childbed. Yea, they will not spare grave ancient matrons and women of great place. One ancient lady, lying in Holborn, in London, was in this sort so rudely handled by them that she fell sick upon it and lived not long after—a grave lady, and a woman of great virtue.
Briefly, their insolences are so many and so outrageous, and thereby the miseries and afflictions of Catholics were so much increased and multiplied, that it seemed to many very intolerable to be long endured. The only hope might be that which at those times Priests did labour to persuade, and divers of the graver Catholics were yet content to believe, might be possible (as in darkness, the least glimpse of light, though but far off, doth bring some [pg 040] comfort, in hope it may come nearer), and that was the memory of His Majesty's faithful promises, which, being given on the word of a Prince, they thought could not be violated, unless they should hear himself to speak the contrary. This only hope did yet live in some, though many apparent proofs to the contrary did continually weaken it. But this little spark of light also was soon after clean put out, no doubt by the industry and malicitious procurement of the Puritans, whose custom it is to incense the King against Catholics by some false information, and thereby to draw from His Majesty certain bitter speeches and invectives against Catholics, which then themselves are forward to publish, thereby to put Catholics the more in despair, and by despair into some cause giving of further afflictions, like him that will beat a child to make him cry, and then beat him because he crieth.